The present invention relates generally to vehicular sliding doors in which the rearward side of the sliding door is supported by a roller bracket that traverses a roller track mounted along the exterior side of the vehicle.
A typical sliding door for a passenger vehicle such as a van, minivan, or a crossover vehicle is supported by and guided by upper and lower track assemblies at the front edge of the sliding door and a center track assembly attached to the rear edge of the door. The size of the door opening that may be uncovered when the sliding door opens is limited to the available distance of rearward travel for the door. A large door opening is desired for ease of ingress/egress and for maximizing the size of loads that may pass through the door opening. However, door travel is typically limited by the length of the tracks in which the roller assemblies traverse during opening of the sliding door. The center track, which receives a roller bracket mounted to the rearward edge of the sliding door, cannot extend beyond the back edge of the vehicle body. The presence of rear taillight assemblies may further limit the available space for the center track. In addition, it is desired to minimize the length of the track to reduce its visibility for aesthetic purposes. Reducing the length of the track also creates opportunities to reduce vehicle weight.